In the latest episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Glen Hansard for a warm, honest and deeply reflective conversation about his new live/studio album, Don+t Settle – (Vol 1 Transmissions East). You can watch the full video version on the XS Noize YouTube channel below.
Recorded at Berlin’s historic Funkhaus, Transmissions East brings together songs from across Glen’s solo career, The Frames and The Swell Season, performed with his road-hardened live band and captured with almost no fixes. Rather than a standard live album or greatest-hits collection, the record feels like an artist taking stock in the present — revisiting songs from different stages of his life and finding new meaning in them.
Glen explains how the project began after a rain-soaked show in The Hague, where he invited the audience onto the stage and transformed a difficult moment into something intimate, communal and unforgettable. He also talks about reintroducing himself as a rock musician, the atmosphere of Funkhaus Berlin, and why the rawness and imperfections of the performances were essential to the record.
The conversation also goes well beyond the new album. Glen reflects on writing “Didn’t He Ramble” for his father, why “Carrickfergus” made the record, and the emotional thread running through his songs across different eras. He also talks about the Bob Dylan cassette that changed his life, what busking taught him about holding an audience, and how those early street performances still shape the way he connects with people on stage.
Glen also looks back on The Commitments, Once, being recognised as Outspan in the street, Bob Dylan phoning after his Oscar win, and the growth of Dublin’s Christmas Eve Busk. It’s a generous, open and thoughtful conversation about music, family, memory, performance, and why this new chapter feels less like looking back and more like planting a flag in the present.
In this episode, Glen Hansard talks about:
– Don’t Settle – Vol. 1: Transmissions East
– Recording at Berlin’s historic Funkhaus
– The rainy Den Haag show that sparked the idea
– Bringing the audience onto the stage
– Reintroducing himself as a rock musician
– Recording with almost no fixes
– Revisiting songs from The Frames, The Swell Season and his solo work
– Writing “Didn’t He Ramble” for his father
– Why “Carrickfergus” made the record
– Why the album is not a greatest-hits collection
– Bob Dylan, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC and favourite live albums
– The Bob Dylan cassette that changed his life
– What busking taught him
– The Commitments, Once and being seen beyond film
– Bob Dylan phoning after his Oscar win
– The Christmas Eve Busk and its growth
– What he hopes people hear in Transmissions East
Prefer audio? Stream the full episode below.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | YouTube
Order the album HERE. Additionally, Glen heads out on a U.K. / EU headline tour in later spring. The full list of dates is as follows:
30.04.26 – Olympia – PARIS
02.05.26 – TivoliVredenburg – UTRECHT – SOLD OUT
03.05.26 – TivoliVredenburg – UTRECHT
05.05.26 – De Oosterpoort – GRONINGEN
06.05.26 – E-Werk – COLOGNE
08.05.26 – Columbiahalle – BERLIN
09.05.26 – Lucerna Velky Sal – PRAGUE
11.05.26 – Gasometer – VIENNA
13.05.26 – Tonhalle – MUNICH
14.05.26 – Volkshaus – ZURICH
16.05.26 – De Roma – ANTWERP
17.05.26 – Stadtpark Open Air – HAMBURG
19.05.26 – Bristol Beacon – BRISTOL
20.05.26 – Barrowland – GLASGOW
22.05.26 – Albert Hall – MANCHESTER
23.05.26 – Roundhouse – LONDON
02.07.26 – Trinity College – DUBLIN
Tickets for the tour are available HERE.
About The XS Noize Podcast
With more than 280 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast is a trusted home for in-depth conversations with music’s legends, innovators, and trailblazers.
Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured guests including Steve Lillywhite, Matt Berninger, Gary Numan, John Lydon, Peter Hook, Crowded House, Elbow, Travis, New Order, Simple Minds, Shaun Ryder and many more.
Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive.
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